I was born in Poonch (Kashmir) and now I live in Norway. I oppose war and violence and am a firm believer in the peaceful co-existence of all nations and peoples. In my academic work I have tried to espouse the cause of the weak and the oppressed in a world dominated by power politics, misleading propaganda and violations of basic human rights. I also believe that all conscious members of society have a moral duty to stand for and further the cause of peace and human rights throughout the world.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Ronald Reagan: Accessory to Genocide

Exclusive: More
than any recent U.S. president, Ronald Reagan has been lavished with
honors, including his name attached to Washington’s National Airport.
But the conviction of Reagan’s old ally, ex-Guatemalan dictator Rios
Montt, for genocide means “Ronnie” must face history’s judgment as an
accessory to the crime, reports Robert Parry.

The conviction of former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt on
charges of genocide against Mayan villagers in the 1980s has a special
meaning for Americans who idolize Ronald Reagan. It means that their
hero was an accessory to one of the most grievous crimes that can be
committed against humanity.

The courage of the Guatemalan people and the integrity of their legal
system to exact some accountability on a still-influential political
figure also put U.S. democracy to shame. For decades now, Americans have
tolerated human rights crimes by U.S. presidents who face little or no
accountability. Usually, the history isn’t even compiled honestly.

President Ronald Reagan.

By contrast, a Guatemalan court on Friday found
Rios Montt guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity and
sentenced the 86-year-old ex-dictator to 80 years in prison. After the
ruling, when Rios Montt rose and tried to walk out of the courtroom,
Judge Yasmin Barrios shouted at him to stay put and then had security
officers take him into custody.